LAKE ERIE CRUSHERS News & Game Recaps

Crestwood, IL – The Windy City Thunderbolts (6-6) respond by taking game 2 of the three game series against the Lake Erie Crushers (8-3) by a score of 8-5. The Crushers remain a half game back of Schaumburg in the Frontier League West standings coming out of Wednesday.

Crushers LHP Jack Eisenbarger, making his third start of the season, got off to a hot start, but ran into a heap of trouble in the bottom of the 3rd inning, walking the first two batters before a throwing error by 1B Vincent Byrd Jr. would permit a run to score for the Thunderbolts. They were far from done, however, as Windy City would strike for three straight RBI hits, the last of which coming from Thunderbolts LF Joe Johnson, who ripped a double into the left center gap, making the score 5-0 Windy City.

Eisenbarger (0-2) would settle in and go two more innings, finishing his day with 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R (4 ER), 2 BB, and 7 K.

The Crushers would start to apply a bit of pressure in the top of the 6th, with speedster CF Sean Cheely driving in 3B Logan Thomason on a bloop, hustle double to get on the board. Cheely would score on a Vincent Byrd Jr. single through the left side of the infield to make the score 5-2.

That RBI knock by Byrd would chase ThunderBolts pitcher Micheal Barker (1-2) from the game, as he went 5 IP giving up 4 hits while striking out 7.

Back to work, C Alfredo Gonzalez got in on the action with an RBI single of his own, scoring DH Scout Knotts to make things 5-3.

Then, a big swing from LF Ronald Washington would send home Byrd, as Washington legged out a triple to put the score within one, 5-4 at the end of six.

Windy City would get those runs back in the bottom of the 7th off RHP Brayden Bonner, who gave up four straight singles to ThunderBolts hitters, allowing three runs to cross in the inning to make the score 8-4.

This would be enough to finish the game for Windy City, however, Logan Thomason launched his first career professional home run, going deep to center field, hitting off the batter’s eye – a massive accomplishment for the first year professional, and by golly did he crush it. The final would stand 8-5 in favor of Windy City.

The rubber match against the Windy City ThunderBolts will commence on Thursday morning at 11:35am EST. The Crushers will look to take the series and secure their fourth straight series win to start the 2024 season.